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I Almost Lost a $5,000 Job Because I Couldn’t Pick Up the Phone.
It’s the kind of thing every small-shop owner dreads.
Last summer, during one of the hottest weeks of the year, I was on a rooftop fixing a busted compressor when my phone started blowing up in my pocket.
I ignored it - both hands deep in the unit, sweat pouring down, 98° heat.
By the time I climbed down and checked, there were three missed calls from the same number.
I called back. Straight to voicemail.
Next day, I learned that call was from a property manager needing emergency service for eight rental units. He hired another crew. That one missed call cost me nearly five grand in work.
That night I sat at my kitchen table staring at my phone, thinking:
“How many of these calls am I missing without even realizing it?”
I tried everything.
I paid a call center - they kept mangling customers’ names and quoting wrong prices.
I told my wife to help answer calls - she lasted a week before begging me to stop.
I even forwarded calls to my cell while on jobs - impossible to juggle while covered in dust or fiberglass.
No matter what, I’d still come home to voicemails from new customers who’d already found someone else.
A buddy in one of my HVAC Facebook groups mentioned he’d started using a new AI call-answering app that sounded like a real receptionist.
He said it answered 24/7, booked jobs, and even texted him summaries after each call.
I thought this is not going to work.
But a week later he sent me a screenshot: “Booked 3 new installs while on vacation.”
So I gave it a try.
In the first month alone, Otto booked 9 extra jobs I would’ve never caught.
That’s over $6,000 in revenue from calls I used to miss. But honestly, the money isn’t even the best part.
It’s the peace of mind.
I don’t race to answer calls during dinner.
I don’t lose sleep worrying about after-hours emergencies.
And my customers think I hired someone full-time.
You’re covered in sweat, on the road, halfway through a job, and the phone rings again.
You think, “I’ll call back in 10 minutes.”
Then the next thing you know, that customer’s gone.
OttoCalls fixed that for me - permanently.
Hiring a real receptionist costs thousands a month.
OttoCalls starts for less than what most of us spend on lunch every week - and works around the clock.
If your phone is your lifeline, this tool will save you time, money, and stress.
Final Thoughts
The day I missed that $5,000 call, I thought I was just unlucky.
Now I realize I was just unprepared.
Since installing Otto, I’ve finally been able to focus on the work - not the phone.
If you run a small crew or handle calls yourself, do yourself a favor.
Check out OttoCalls today.
It might just save your next big job - or your sanity.
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